Klausner sues the world

Klausner Technologies has launched a dozen new lawsuits against major technology companies for infringing on its visual voicemail patents. While the outfit is very small, it has sued some companies with big names, including Toshiba, NEC, Samsung, Alcatel-Lucent, and Siemens.

At the centre of the row are 24 patents central to visual voicemail, which Judah Klausner pioneered back in the 1970s while doing work on early PDA technologies. Klausner’s patents seem to be holding up with no one challenging their validity. Apple, Sprint, and Google signed up rather than be sued.

Judah Klausner said in a statement that 33 outfits have signed patent license agreements and he will not allow unlicensed companies to get away with it. The companies targeted in the new round of lawsuits are Shortel, Toshiba, Mitel, J3 Global Communications, Alcatel-Lucent, Paetec, Primus Telecommunications, Samsung, Siemens Enterprise Communications, Windstream Corporation, NEC, and XO Holdings.